Aedan Of Highever

by Milton Garby

  "Oohh. You fear barbarians will swoop down upon you?" She asked sarcastically, mocking him.

  "Yes. Swooping is bad." Alistair answered glowering.

  "Sh-she's a W-witch of the Wilds, she is!" Daveth stuttered. Having grown up near the Wilds he was obviously afraid of such things. "She'll turn us into toads!"

  "Witch of the Wilds?" obviously the title bored her. "Such idle fancies, those legends. Have you no minds of your own?" She pointed to Aedan with interest in her eye. "You, there. Handsome lad. Tell me your name and I shall tell you mine. Let us be civilized."

  Once again opened his mouth to speak only to be interrupted again, this time by Daveth. "Don't tell her your name. If you do she'll be able to enter your dreams and steal your soul!"

  Aedan glared at him and whispered angrily at him, "If you don't shut up, I'll reach into your chest cavity and steal your soul!" Daveth closed his mouth and backed away. Aedan looked over to their Chasind guest, smiling politely and answered her in flawless Chasind. "I am called Aedan. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, my lady."

  "Aha! Now that is a proper civil greeting, even here in the Wilds! And in my own language no less! You may call me Morrigan." Aedan nodded his head to her respectfully. "Shall I guess your purpose? You seek something in that chest? Something that is here no longer?"

  "Here no longer? You stole them didn't you!?" Alistair accused. "Your…some kind of…sneaky…witch-thief!"

  "How very eloquent." Morrigan mocked. "How does one steal from dead men?"

  "Quite easily, it seems. Those scrolls are Grey Warden property! Return them or suffer the consequences!" Alistair threatened. Alistair had been trained as a Templar, Aedan no doubt he could probably follow through with his threat.

  "I will not, for it was not I who removed them. Invoke a name that means anything here any longer, if you wish. I am not threatened." The witch responded.

  Aedan sighed in annoyance. He knew her type, he met plenty of them in Orlais. Women who were used to getting their way with men and liked to toy with them. Aedan would not be toyed with. "She's just trying to play with us, men. Let's get out of here." He turned his back to her.

  Now wait a minute! "Why so petulant?" Morrigan called as the turned their backs to her. "If you wish to know who took your documents I can tell you who! It was my mother!"

  Aedan smiled to himself. He knew that would work. Women like her couldn't stand to be ignored. He turned once again to face her. "Your mother? Really?"

  "Is it so strange that I have a mother? I wasn't spawned from a log."

  "Can you take us to her, please?" Aedan asked politely.

  Morrigan looked at him smiling a small, fox-like grin. "Hmm. Now there is sensible request. Heh-heh. I like you."

  "Careful." Alistair warned. "First it's 'I like you', but then –zap!- frog time!"

  "She'll put us all in the pot, she will! Just you wait and see!" Daveth uttered.

  "If the pot's warmer than this forest, it'd be a welcome change." Jory commented.

  "Follow me, then. If it pleases you." The witch bade.

  Morrigan led them deeper into the swamp, Aedan stayed behind Morrigan and everyone else stayed behind Aedan. If she was going to turn them into toads they could all hide behind him. Aedan didn't mind, it gave him the perfect opportunity to watch Morrigan's perfectly formed ass and swaying hips. After all, if he was going to be in a cold, darkspawn filled swamp on his way to a witch's den, he may as well enjoy the scenery.

  She led them to a small, quaint hut with smoke bellowing from the chimney. Aedan observed their surroundings as Morrigan brought them closer. He looked at the trees and noticed there was something hanging from the branches. What was it? Meat? He looked closer. Holy shit! It wasn't just meat. It was human flesh! The hands, eyes and genitals hanging from the branches gave it away. Aedan turned and addressed his fellows. "Listen, and listen good. Don't be threatening and don't do anything stupid. This woman's mother isn't someone to be trifled with." All three of the nodded their head in agreement.

  Morrigan brought them up to the hut where an elderly woman with golden eyes was waiting for them. Apparently this was Morrigan's mother. "Greetings, mother. I bring four Grey Wardens who…."

  "I see them girl." The elder witch confirmed abruptly. She observed her daughter's guests with her inquisitive, golden eyes. "Hmm. Much as I expected."

  "Are we supposed to believe you were expecting us?" Alistair asked in disbelief.

  "You are required to do nothing. Least of all believe. Close one's eyes shut, or open one's arms wide, either way one's a fool." The crone answered.

  "She's a witch I tell you! We shouldn't be talking to her!" Daveth whimpered in fear and despair. Being a native to these lands, Daveth was the most fearful and superstitious of them.

  "Damn it, Daveth! I told you to keep your trap shut!" Aedan scolded.

  The old woman chuckled to, "There's a smart lad. Sadly irrelevant to the larger scheme of things. But it is not I who decides. Believe what you will."

  She approached Aedan, looking him square in the eyes, "And what of you? Do you possess a different view point or do you believe as the others believe?"

  Aedan looked back at her, his gaze unflinching. "What I believe is irrelevant, woman. When circumstances rise and chaos falls, all we can do is act."

  "Ahh. And there it is. An open mind and a ready hand. You look just enough to see, but not enough to blind. So much of you is uncertain, and yet so ready. Do I believe you are capable? Why it seems I do!"

  "So…? This is a dreaded Witch of the Wilds?" Alistair asked.

  "Witch of the Wilds, huh?" The woman laughed. "Did Morrigan tell you that? She's always fancied those legends. Though she would never admit it! Oh, how she dances under the moon! Ha-haha!" Morrigan palmed her face. That obviously embarrassed her.

  "They did not come to listen your wild tales, mother." She said in aggravation.

  "True. They came here for their treaties, yes? And before you start barking, your seals wore off ages ago. I have been protecting these."

  "You-Oh. You've protected them?" That caught Alistair off guard.

  "And why not? Take them to your Grey Wardens and tell them this Blights threat is greater than they realize." The old woman stated.

  Aedan quirked his eyebrow. Obviously she was more than she appeared. "And what do you mean by that?"

  "Either the threat is more, or they realize less. Or perhaps the threat is nothing! Ha-ha! Or perhaps they realize nothing! Aha-haha-ha!" This was getting annoying and it showed in that twitch on Aedan's face. "Oh, do not mind me. You have what you came for."

  Whether she annoyed him or not Aedan's mother taught him to show respect and be thankful and bowed respectfully. "Thank you very much for returning these scrolls. And for your advice, my lady." Aedan thanked once more in the Chasind tongue.

  "Oh, my! Manners and charm! Always in the last place you look. Such a shame I were not younger, or you were not older. Oh, the things we could share!" That embarrassed both Aedan and Morrigan.

  "Time for you to go then." Morrigan stated. Quickly.

  "Do not be ridiculous, girl! These are your guests.

  Morrigan face-palmed herself, apparently she didn't like being told what to do. "Oh, very well. I will show you out of the woods. Follow me, then."

  Morrigan led them once more and by the time night started to fall she brought them to the entrance to the Grey Wardens camp. They made their way to the camp but before Aedan could thank Morrigan for her help she was gone. Oh, well. Now that could finally find out what this Joining is and get it over with. How bad could it be? It's not like it was going to kill them. Right?

  The Deep Dark Before Dawn's First Light Seems Eternal

  But Know The Sun Always Rises

  Chantry Verse

  The Joining and What Came After

  So this is what it takes to be a Grey Warden. To drink the vile, tainted blood of those evil creatures and be forever separated from the common people.
Duncan recited the vow and words, filled the cup and passed in unto them. Poor Daveth. He so willingly drank the blood from that cup, so willing to take in the taint for the chance to be able to stop the Blight and be more than what he was. Alas, he died choking on that filthy bile. Ser Jory was unable and unwilling to make that sacrifice. He refused the cup at sword point forcing Duncan to kill him. Despite Aedan's contempt for cowardice, he couldn't blame Jory for what he did. After all, he had something to live for. And so did Aedan. The joining cup passed to Aedan's hands, the rancid, acrid stench of the blood filled his nostrils and he drank deep. The pain was excruciating, it flooded through his very being! His muscles burned and his skin was on fire. Was he dying? No, he couldn't be dying. There was still too much he had to do! He still had to avenge his family! No, he wasn't going to die! He refused to die! And then his world went completely black…

  He found himself in a world of burning shadow, death and decay surrounded him… was he in hell? Then a great shadow landed upon the desolation around him, a dragon possessed of infinite evil. It looked down on him and Aedan knew it saw him. It said something, Aedan didn't know what, but he knew the beast spoke to him! Then dragon breathed rancid fire down on him and he could feel his flesh burn! Aedan's eyes fluttered open. He was alive. He looked up to see Duncan and Alistair standing over him, the pain and burning was gone.

  "It is finished. Welcome." Duncan congratulated.

  "Welcome THIS!" Aedan screamed as he swung at Duncan's face, but his head was still aching and he missed by a wide margin. He swung again but was held back by Alistair. "You murdered Jory! Damn you! He had a family!"

  "Jory was warned that there would be no going back, as were you all." Duncan explained calmly. "When he went for his blade I had no choice. It brought me no pleasure to end his life."

  "It doesn't look like it brought you any guilt either!" Aedan spat with his fists still ready.

  "Aedan! Please calm down!" Alistair urged. "I know you don't like, I don't either. But we all have to make sacrifices in order to end the Blights. Sometimes that means doing things we'll hate ourselves for."

  Duncan stepped forward and motioned Alistair away from Aedan. "Alistair is right. We Wardens pay a heavy toll for being what we are. You will learn more in the months to come."

  "I don't have time for your secret rituals or you risking my life for your clandestine bullshit! I've got something to live for!" Aedan screamed.

  Duncan looked at him sternly, "There are more important goals than your revenge, Aedan. You want to save your homeland, this is the only way to do it. If you love your country then trust that what we do is for that goal."

  Aedan grunted in anger and relented. Damn it. They had a point. He hated being forced in to anything, but they had a point. If he could help save his country he would. He knew where to find Howe later. "Come, the king is waiting for us." Duncan ordered.

  The three of them made their way to the king's war council, he was having an intense argument with Teryn Loghain over the battle strategy. Apparently Cailan wanted to fight alongside the Warden on the frontlines and Loghain didn't want the king to go off and play hero in the heat of battle. "Too risky" he said.

  "If that's the case then perhaps we should wait the Orlesians forces to join us after all." The king suggested cheerlessly. Judging from the look on Loghain's face that had to sting.

  "I must protest to your fool notion that we need the Orlesians to defend ourselves." Loghain argued. Aedan knew he still hated the Orlesians, and he didn't blame him. But even Aedan knew that no country should combat the Blight alone.

  "It is not a 'fool notion'." Cailan argued very seriously. "Our arguments with the Orlesians are a thing of the past. And you will remember who is king." Oohh. Aedan didn't realize the king had set of brass like that. Maybe he deserved his kingship after all.

  Loghain's face was twisted with anger and bitterness as he clenched his mailed fists. "How fortunate that Maric didn't live to see his son ready to hand Ferelden over to the ones who enslaved us for a century."

  "Then our current forces will have to suffice, won't they?" The king rebutted. Aedan had to give props to Cailan. Not many were capable of making an argument with the Hero of River Dane, let alone start one. And it was a valid argument.

  The king turned to Duncan and congratulated Aedan on his Joining. They were unnecessary, after all, he had no choice, apparently. The king assigned Aedan to stay behind and light the Tower of Ishal when the signal was given. It was a bullshit assignment. Aedan was there to fight, not act a torchbearer. But apparently Loghain didn't even trust the Wardens to do that. Aedan took great offense, Loghain knew who he was but didn't even trust him to such a menial task. However, the king told Loghain to stow his conspiracy theories. Duncan took Aedan and told the battle plan to Alistair. Alistair was less than enthusiastic.

  "What? You mean I won't be fighting in the battle?" Alistair whined.

  "This is by the king's command. We need that beacon lit or the teryn's men won't know when to charge." Duncan explained.

  "So he needs two Grey Wardens standing there to hold the torch, does he?"

  "I agree, you brought us here to wage war! Not play spectator on the sidelines." Aedan argued.

  "That is not up to either of you." Duncan reminded them. "The king is counting on you both with this task."

  "Fine." Alistair whined, "But if he tells me to don a dress and dance the remigold, I drawing the line, Blight or no Blight."

  "I thought Templars were used to wearing dresses and prancing around like idiots." Aedan commented.

  "Well, we are, but there's always this really uncomfortable draft when wearing a dress. Oh, and I am not exactly wearing clean drawers right now."

  "Gross."

  Duncan sighed in exasperation. The battle was going to begin in no less than an hour if there was any preparation to be done it had to be done now.

  Dane was sitting right next to Aedan, begging for some of the Mabari treats his master had just gotten. As Aedan purchased some final equipment and did some final preparing Alistair approached him. "Look, Aedan. I think we should talk. The way you acted back there after the Joining Ritual…."

  "You do not know me, Alistair!" Aedan barked. "I don't have to explain myself to you!"

  Alistair remained completely calm. He wasn't going to leave his fellow Warden like this. "I know more about suffering than you might think, Aedan. But you're right, I don't know you. That's the problem! How can we be expected to be trusted with each other's lives if we know nothing about each other? Whether you like it or not, we're brothers in this cause now."

  Aedan already had a brother. "Fine, Alistair." He answered with controlled anger. "You want to know about me? I'll tell you. My full name is Aedan Ciaran Cousland of Highever. My father was Teryn Bryce Cousland. At the Landsmeet to determine who would take up kingship after Maric's death, my father was actually forwarded to be king. My family has governed the terynir of Highever for six hundred years. And in one night it was burned to the ground and my family slaughtered like sheep because we opened our doors to a man we though was our friend. And to top that all off I get pulled into the Grey Wardens and I'm told that I can't leave and I'll probably never see justice for my family. So forgive me if I'm a little on edge." Aedan's face was hard and painted with bitterness.

  Alistair had heard that Aedan lost his family, but he didn't know the circumstances. Alistair was a bastard-son. He never really knew what it was like to have family. For Aedan to have his life so violently ripped from his must be devastating.

  "So what's your story? What made your life so bad that you so willingly joined the Grey Wardens?" Aedan asked.

  Aedan had just told him his life, it was only fair Alistair do the same. "W-well, you see. The thing about that is…"

  Before Alistair could give his answer the battle horns sounded. The battle for Ostagar had begun. "Oh, thank the Maker." Alistair sighed, drawing a look from Aedan. "Oh, I mean, uh, l-let's get to the Tower of Is
hal!"

  Two and Half Hours Later...

  Alistair and Aedan had finally made it to the top of the tower with one soldier and a mage with them. The tower was completely overrun by the enemy. There were many questions running through Aedan's mind right now. Had they missed the signal? What were these darkspawn doing ahead of the horde? How did they even get in the tower? But the most important question running through Aedan's mind right now was…"How the fuck did an ogre get to the top floor!?"

  The ogre charged at them, goring one of the soldiers on its massive horns and ripped him off, tearing him in half! The ogre threw the torso right at Aedan and knocked him to the ground. Covered in the man's blood and guts, Aedan hopped back at his feet trying to keep a safe distance from the ogre.

  "Mage! Fire spells at his head! Alistair! Dane! Attack his legs, cut off his support!" Aedan ordered. He went berserk and charged forward, keeping the beast's attention on him and away from his comrades. Even in his berserker state the ogre was infinitely stronger than him, fortunately Aedan was infinitely faster! With his sword and axe Aedan ducked in and out of the ogre's reach, laying deep gashes in the behemoth's thick skin with every swing. The mage rained down fire into the ogre's face while Alistair and Dane attacked its massive thighs, stopping its movement. Dane latched onto the ogre's leg, tearing the creature's dense flesh with his powerful jaws.

  The ogre finally had enough! It kicked Dane off its leg and backhanded Alistair, but he ducked beneath the massive fist. The ogre bowed, aiming its horns and charged straight at Aedan! Aedan quickly dropped onto his back and stuck his sword out in front of him like a lance. As the ogre charged over Aedan's body, his sword sliced into the ogre's belly spilling its guts all over Aedan! Its intestines hanging out of its body like a bunch of rotted sausages, the ogre stepped back, yowling in horrible pain!

  Aedan, still coated in blood bounded back to his feet and lunged forward at the ogre's massive body, driving his sword straight into its black heart! The monster fell backwards, its mass shaking the ground as it landed. Aedan yanked his sword from the ogre's chest, and before the ogre could do anymore, Aedan drove his sword straight into the monster's thick skull and right into its brain. And twisted!